Street Racing Suspected In Fatal Crash On U.s. 441

Street racing may have ended the life of a 19-year-old Monday night on the popular open drag-racing stretch of U.S. 441, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, Joshua Braswell, 20, of Greenacres, was charged Thursday with vehicular homicide in the death of his passenger, Joseph Nannariello, of Royal Palm Beach, troopers said.

Braswell showed up in court Friday in a wheelchair. He is being held on $75,000 bond in the county jail's hospital with head injuries. His family lives in Texas and he may be a flight risk, according to the police report.

FHP Lt. Tim Frith said there were several modified cars at the crash scene and Braswell's 1988 Honda CRX had a low-rider appearance. Evidence showed the car was going southbound at least 90 mph in a 50 mph zone west of Boynton Beach when a semitrailer truck made a U-turn from the northbound lane about 10 p.m. at 80th Street South. Braswell crashed into the back of the truck, troopers said.

He had his license reinstated Thursday after having it suspended Oct. 9 for failure to pay traffic fines, records show.

There were 250 feet of skid marks from Braswell's attempt to brake and 4 feet of crush damage to the car, investigators said.

Nannariello died at the scene.

In a two-week blitz in September, the Sheriff's Office, state troopers and police from Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth made eight arrests for street racing and issued more than 202 citations, mostly along U.S. 441, for speeding and other infractions.

Jerome Burdi can be reached at jjburdi@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6531.